Is your garden overrun with zucchini? These homemade Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles are just what you need.
Zucchini ribbons, pickling brine, and a day or two in the fridge produce the most amazing quick DIY pickles ever.
Quick fridge pickles are crisp and tangy. Super easy to make and a great way to preserve fresh zucchini. The perfect pickle recipe for beginners.
Zucchini pickles are a delicious topping for burgers and sandwiches. Have you tried grilled zucchini burgers? Perfect for summer.
Pickled Eggs are still my most popular recipe on the blog. If you have read that post, you would know I am NOT a canner/preserver per se. Quick pickles are my way to a great-tasting condiment.
You can never have too many ways to use the zucchini crop this time of year. Although they are delicious, we can only eat so many zucchini muffins.
Refrigerator Pickled Zucchini Is Easy
No-cook refrigerator pickles are perfect for people (like me) who don’t want all the work involved in the traditional canning method.
- Slice the zucchini into ribbons.
- Remove excess liquid (see recipe).
- Boil brine (this takes 5 minutes).
- Pack zucchini into jars.
- Add brine.
- Put the lid on the jar.
- Place in refrigerator.
- In a few days, you will have pickled zucchini.
To cut the zucchini into ribbons I used a spiralizer (affiliate). Do you have one? This really is a fun kitchen gadget.
It is great for making zoodles too. Greek Zoodle Salad is a favourite around here. If you are looking to cut some carbs out of your diet, try Zucchini Noodles with Shrimp for an easy weeknight dinner. Have you tried Zucchini Gazpacho?
If you are a fan of Caesar salad, then this Zucchini Caesar Salad is right up your alley. The perfect raw zucchini salad.
Quick Pickling Tips
- Prepare the jars and lids (wash with hot, soapy water, rinse and dry).
- I even poured boiling water in mine just to make sure I got all the soap out.
- Wash and dry the zucchini before slicing.
- Tightly pack the ribbons into jars (leaving a bit of room at the top).
- Pour the HOT brine into the packed jars (chances are you will have extra brine).
- Lightly tap the jars to remove air bubbles, and top off with additional brine.
- Tightly seal the jars.
- Let the jars cool before placing in the refrigerator.
- Refrigerate for at least 24 hours before eating (pickles improve with age).
Feel free to experiment with the brine. Some recipes will use equal amounts of vinegar and water. For this pickled zucchini recipe, I used more vinegar than water.
The type of vinegar you use will produce different results as well. I used rice wine vinegar, but you can experiment with white vinegar, cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or a combination. It is best to avoid concentrated kinds of vinegar like malt or balsamic.
I omitted salt in my brine (but feel free to add some) since I used salt to remove excess liquid in the zucchini ribbons before placing them in the jar. I added a small amount of sugar, but you can omit that if you like.
Pickling spice is the flavouring in this recipe. Feel free to experiment with fresh herbs such as dill, thyme, or rosemary (add them to the jar before pouring in the brine).
Whole spices such as mustard seed, peppercorns, or chili flakes work great in the brine (especially if you want to add a bit of spicy heat). If you like garlic, by all means, add that too.
Here is a great article on common pickling mistakes.
After a few days in the fridge, I was eager to see how these tasted. Hubby grilled up some Octoberfest sausages for the taste test. I stuffed a bun with that juicy sausage, topped it with honey mustard, and piled on these zucchini pickles. WOW! They had a nice tang, and are the perfect alternative to sauerkraut.
Easy homemade pickles are perfect in so many ways. Try making quick pickled onions, they are ideal for burgers and sandwiches. Check out this Homemade Burger Roundup!!
This pickle roundup is packed with lots of great ideas. Did you know you can pickle fruit too?
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Normally about two months. They will begin to lose some crunch over time. They should always be kept in the fridge.
White distilled vinegar is the norm for pickling vinegar.
Yes, you can reuse it to make another batch of refrigerator pickles, but not canned/fermented pickles.
Refrigerator Zucchini Pickles
Ingredients
- 25 ounces zucchini (sliced into ribbons)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
For the Brine:
- 1 cup rice wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons pickling spice
Instructions
Prepare The Jars:
- Wash jars and lids with hot soapy water and rinse well.
- You can also then pour boiling water into the jars to ensure all the soup is out.
- Let air dry, or dry with a cloth.
To Prepare The Zucchini:
- Wash and dry zucchini.
- Slice into ribbons.
- Place in a colander, sprinkle with salt, mix with your hands to distribute.
- Let sit for 10-15 minutes to drain excess liquid.DO NOT RINSE (that is why I did not add salt to the brine).
- Place zucchini ribbons in a kitchen towel, and squeeze to drain the liquid.
- Pack tightly into jars, leaving a bit of room at the top.
To Make The Brine:
- Combine vinegar, water, sugar and pickling spice into a small pot.
- Bring to a boil, and boil for about 2 minutes (to dissolve the sugar).
- Remove from heat, and let cool for a couple of minutes.
- Pour over the zucchini ribbons in the jar. (I used a knife to move the zucchini a bit so the brine could get all the way down and around the zucchini.)
- Be sure to add some of the pickling spice throughout the jar.
- Tap the jar slightly to release any air bubbles. You will likely be able to add a bit more brine to the jar at this point.
- Tightly seal.
- Let cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator.Let sit in the fridge for at least 24 hours (the longer the better).
Sandhya Ramakrishnan
We love zucchini in any recipe and this is the perfect way to save the extra zucchini from the garden. I made a batch over the weekend and can’t stop snacking on them.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love the summer condiment. Great for burgers and more.
Savita
I always thought of using homegrown zucchini in some or other ways. But I must say this one was the best way to put it into use. Great recipe.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
One of my favourite zucchini recipes for sure. So easy too.
Juyali
I made these again for my zucchini-lover daughter. So so good!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
The perfect summer condiment, and a great way to use garden fresh zucchini.